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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Today is the day... this is Cut, Craft, Create's 100th post! How exciting! Some of you might have noticed that I did not post last Friday. I had my first Origami Owl jewelry bar on Saturday and was driving myself crazy trying to get everything just right. It went very well and I am more excited than ever to share these beautiful living lockets. That why (drum roll please...)

We're having a GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is for (1) Plain Silver Mini Living Locket or (1) Plain Silver Medium Living Locket. If the winner however, would prefer a different color, one with crystals, or a larger size, the giveaway prize is equal to the value of the listed lockets (US $20) to be used towards the purchase of different locket.

Did you know that Origami Owl was started by a fourteen year old? With $350 of her own babysitting money and a matching fund from her parents, she started the small company in hopes of earning enough money to buy a car at age sixteen. Are you impressed? At fourteen I was doing much less impressive things (we won't get into that!)

Living lockets are a unique way to personalize jewelry for yourself or others (psst... they make GREAT Christmas gifts!) The locket opens and the charms can be changed out as often as you like.

The quality of these lockets are also spectacular! I had never seen one in person when I first decided to join the team (I loved the concept so much I just jumped right in) and when I got my started kit in the mail I was pleasantly surprised. The lockets are dainty yet heavy duty and even the charms are a better quality than anything else I have found before.

Living Lockets are a perfect way to tell your story. What are you passionate about? Who is most important to you? What makes your heart beat faster and your face light up each day? Tell the world through your living locket!

There are so many different colors, styles and sizes to choose from and that's in the locket alone! Add in a slew of charms (in about anything you could imagine!) plate options and beautiful chains and you've got yourself the perfect necklace.

Did I mention that we make bracelets now too? Check them out on my Origami Owl page! They are just like the necklaces in that they are completely 100% personalized by you!

Ignore my "spring" picture, I just wanted to show a few "made up" options for you to see!

Enough Talking! Where do I enter the giveaway?Please enter using the Rafflecopter gadget below. Don't forget to enter under each category, earning yourself more entries! You may also earn more entries for each new day you participate. Good luck! The contest ends November 27, 2013 at 12:00am EST.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 8, 2013

Hello again. I hope everyone has had a great week since you've been here last. I have had a CRAZY week and I should probably be working on a hundred other things right now but oh well, right? If you can't make time to craft then the week really isn't that good is it?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to make a Thanksgiving themed craft. I don't usually decorate for Thanksgiving, so I needed something easy with crisp, clean lines. You know... nothing too over the top since I'm not used to it! What I came up with was a lovely printable (it's free, scroll down!) that reminds us to be thankful.

I also wanted to share the fall decoration that my mom made for her front steps. I love the simpleness of it but find it absolutely stunning. I think I actually gasped when I first saw it and compliment her on it every time I visit now.

I can sometimes be a little over-the-top on... everything, so I appreciate the opportunity to use simple designs in my decorating. I think this holds particularly true in the month of Thanksgiving when we recognize how grateful we are for the simple things that we sometimes take for granted.

Simple and to the point. For an extra touch, I included a little green on there. I love random splashes of color!

For the potted decor, my mom said that she spent around a dollar on the whole thing!

The flower pot was from my wedding, as was the burlap. The gourds and corn she got on sale for around a dollar. All you need to do is fill the bottom of the pot with whatever filler you desire (so that everything keeps from sinking to the bottom) and layer it up!

These simple pieces speak volumes when it comes to fall decorating. Don't be afraid to keep it simple and enjoy!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Before anyone starts yelling at me for posting a Christmas craft, please allow me to explain myself. As I've mentioned before, I was very behind on my fall/Halloween crafts and now my house looks very un-festive. It's likely that I will make one (maybe two) Thanksgiving crafts, but that's not really my holiday as far as decorations go. As I contemplated whether or not starting a Christmas craft would start WWIII, I started to get notifications on my phone that this post from last year was being re-pinned a lot. That proved to me that people are ready to at least start looking at Christmas crafts and I would be good to go.

What prompted this particular craft was when I was shopping with my mom and saw those beautiful glitter trees. Saying to myself "I could make that" I went home to search ideas on Pinterest. What I found was upsetting: several tutorials on how to make glitter trees from Styrofoam cones. What's the matter with that you ask? The tops aren't pointed! I know, I know... I'm obviously crazy and a little picky but I wanted my trees to have points.

I love the tall skinny trees but you could make them as wide (or yes even flat topped) as you wanted.

Since I couldn't use Styrofoam I opted for heavy paper. I actually ended up using a thin poster board! At first it takes a little bending but once you do one it's easy peasy. Just start at a corner and roll!

Don't worry about it being creased because it all gets covered. As a matter of fact I found that creasing it as much as possible helped give this sturdy "paper" it's shape.

Make a few of these bare trees (I hot glued them at the ends) and decide which of the 4 styles you prefer: glitter, fabric, ribbon or paper.

{Glitter}
The classic glitter trees are always a winner. Although after making these my husband lifted the "no glitter in the house" test run and made it a rule instead. You win some you lose some.

They're easy to make. Take your blank paper trees, add some mod podge, sprinkle on the glitter and seal with your choice of spray sealer. For the silver and red I used some old (without labels) glitter that I probably picked up at the Dollar Store and for the green I used Martha Stewart Tinsel Glitter that I won during a craft giveaway! The green has more of a "tree" look but I think I like the classic glitter better.

{Fabric/Burlap}
I love burlap and I love rustic Christmas decor... of course I made a burlap tree!

At first I cut a huge rectangle, thinking that I was going to somehow drape it over the top. After realizing that was not going to work I simply rolled a "paper" tree into some burlap, hot gluing the ends.

Once it's set, trim the ends so that it can stand upright.

{Ribbon}
This came about by accident when I was trying to see how ribbon would look wound across a glitter tree. I didn't really like the look of that but I did love when it was covered in ribbon. Plus, glitter ribbon doesn't break the "no glitter in the house" rule!

It's easy to make as well. Dab some hot glue on the end and starting at the top, wrap the ribbon all the way down the "paper" tree. Add another dab of hot glue on the end and it's stuck!

This ribbon is thin and easy to work with but just lovely. I have it in multiple colors and use it for gift wrapping. Best part? You can get it for about a dollar!

I think what I like so much about the ribbon versus the regular glitter is the texture that it has from wrapping it up!

{Paper}
You might be thinking "we've been using paper this whole time, how can you make a new category for it?" If you were thinking that, you are very clever. However... it's a different kind of paper! Scrapbook paper.

I wanted something with more of a design on it. As I flipped through my giant stack(s) of scrapbooking paper I found some that were the classic red and green but in more muted shades. Perfect for that rustic feel. I made new cones out of this paper but if you wanted them to be a little more sturdy, just wrap the scrapbook paper around the poster board trees.

If you are really loving this paper, it came from this pad pictured below. I bought it at Michaels' on sale for around $11! I was so excited to say the least.

{That's it!}
I started out trying to re-make some glitter trees I found at the store and ended up with several new styles that I love! I'm not sure that I have one favorite, I think I like them best when they are mixed. What about you?